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Weald School Meeting

Posted on August 10, 2013 at 8:41 pm

Although still at an early stage, the Governing Body and the Diocese of Guildford have been considering the future of The Weald School building and how we ensure it is fit for purpose for the coming years. Many of you who know the school well, will I am sure agree, that the building itself is in need of a significant overhaul. This would then enable us to continue to meet the needs of our current and future pupils.

We have been communicating with our school trustees, Surrey County Council and Capel Parish Council about possible ways forward. Although there is no firm route just yet, we are all in agreement that consultation with all stakeholders is key at this early stage; so that we can identify the true needs of not only the school community, but also our local community.

The Governing Body is proposing to hold a public exhibition at The Weald in September. This exhibition would present information as to why the school needs redevelopment and what funding sources could be available to us. We would present a number of different options from refurbishing the building to a full rebuild. We would be keen to meet with you and receive your feedback on potential options on how the school site could be redeveloped, having regard to known development opportunities and constraints associated.

As part of the potential redevelopment of the school site, we are also keen to provide better indoor and outdoor sporting facilities which could be used by the wider community. We would also seek to address current site access and transport issues.

The Governing Body recognises that there may be many barriers to any project, not least that the school site is located in the Green Belt. However, as you may also be aware, Mole Valley District Council is currently undertaking a Green Belt review to help identify potential sites for housing development to meet the District’s requirements over the Plan period to 2026. This is something we would also like to explore with you as part of the exhibition in September.

Based on the feedback we receive, if the principle of redevelopment is supported, it is then our intention to identify and produce a proposal for a preferred option. We will inform you before taking this proposal to Mole Valley District Council as part of pre-application discussion with officers.

In summary The Weald School is:

A thriving primary school with demand for places increasing

A building in need of repair and ultimately replacement

A school sitting on acres of unused land

The benefits of redevelopment could be enormous:

A new high quality school which is best able to meet the needs of all of our children for years to come

Securing places for our local feeder schools at Year 3

Built with finance generated from expendable assets, taking nothing financially from central or local government

No impact on the finance of surrounding schools

Easing of congestion in the area by making the school more accessible (dedicated drop-off and pick-up area)

Additional housing available to meet pressing local needs

Dual use facility providing a range of benefits and improved facilities for the wider community

We are very keen to seek your views and ensure that we are meeting the needs of the wider community for many years to come as well as offering the best possible learning environment for our pupils. The date of the meeting will be confirmed and advertised on our website soon; please join us if you can.